The Japanese elements in Chinese smartphone games

Abstract

In recent years, the influence of Chinese smartphone games in Japan has been growing, attracting an increasing number of players. However, these smartphone games all share a common characteristic: the incorporation of Japanese elements. This is quite astonishing for China, which prides itself as a cultural powerhouse. Based on an analysis of several popular Chinese games in the Japanese market, such as "Onmyoji," "Genshin Impact," "Identity V," and "Honkai: Star Rail," this study aims to explore the underlying Japanese elements within them, analyze the reasons behind this approach by Chinese game developers, and examine its impact.